Statue of Liberty reopens on New York state's dime

Tourists pose for pictures during a visit to the Statue of Liberty on Sunday in New York City.

Story highlights

The Statue of Liberty reopens after New York state agrees to pay to run it

The landmark had been closed as a result of the partial government shutdown

About 400 jobs had been lost in the shutdown, ticketing operator says

Arizona and South Dakota also agreed to pay to keep their landmarks open

The Statue of Liberty reopened Sunday morning thanks to state funding after it had been closed for 12 days as a result of the partial government shutdown.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the state legislature resorted to "unusual state action" and agreed to pay the operational costs of the Statue of Liberty until the federal government reopens, citing economic interests in a news conference Sunday.

New York state will pay $61,600 a day over the next several days from its tourism budget.

"Just on the economics of the matter, it makes obvious sense for us to pay for the costs of operation, which pales in comparison to the amount of money we are now losing," Cuomo said.

According to a statement from Cuomo, a 2012 annual report from the National Park Service counted 3.7 million visitors to Liberty Island in 2011, generating nearly $200 million in economic activity and supporting more than 2,000 jobs.

Government shutdown of 2013 – The Statue of Liberty looms over visitors below on Liberty Island in New York Harbor on Sunday, October 13, 2013. The statue was closed to the public by the federal government's partial shutdown that began October 1, 2013, but reopened Sunday after the state of New York agreed to shoulder the costs of running the site during the shutdown.

Hide Caption

1 of 32

Government shutdown of 201332 photos

Government shutdown of 2013 – Empty tables overlooking Seal Rocks are seen inside the closed Cliff House on Wednesday, October 9, in San Francisco. The 150-year-old oceanside icon was ordered closed by the National Park Service for the duration of the partial government shutdown, leaving most of the restaurant's 170 employees without work.

Hide Caption

2 of 32

Government shutdown of 201332 photos

Government shutdown of 2013 – Boaters gather to protest the closure of Everglades National Park waters on October 9 near Islamorada, Florida. About a third of the 2,380-square-mile park encompasses Florida Bay and has been closed to Florida Keys guides and recreational fishermen since October 1.

Hide Caption

3 of 32

Government shutdown of 201332 photos

Government shutdown of 2013 – A camping party at the Dolly Copp campground in Gorham, New Hampshire, on October 9 is told that the park will close on Thursday, October 10, at noon. The privately run campground in New Hampshire's White Mountains National Forest was forced to close ahead of the lucrative Columbus Day weekend because of the federal government shutdown.

Hide Caption

4 of 32

Government shutdown of 201332 photos

Government shutdown of 2013 – Rick Hohensee holds a "Fire Congress" sign near the House steps on Capitol Hill in Washington on Tuesday, October 8.

Hide Caption

5 of 32

Government shutdown of 201332 photos

Government shutdown of 2013 – Officers stand at the base of stairs leading to the Capitol Rotunda on Monday, October 7.

Hide Caption

6 of 32

Government shutdown of 201332 photos

Government shutdown of 2013 – Tourists take photos at a barricade blocking access to the World War II Memorial in Washington on Sunday, October 6.

Hide Caption

7 of 32

Government shutdown of 201332 photos

Government shutdown of 2013 – River runners make camp in a dirt parking lot in Marble Canyon, Arizona, after being unable to access the Colorado River at Lee's Ferry on Saturday, October 5.

Hide Caption

8 of 32

Government shutdown of 201332 photos

Government shutdown of 2013 – A closure sign is posted on the National Mall in front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Thursday, October 3.

Hide Caption

9 of 32

Government shutdown of 201332 photos

Government shutdown of 2013 – Tourists take photos of the Statue of Liberty while riding a tour boat in New York Harbor on October 3. The statue is adminstered by the National Park Service and is closed as a result of the government shutdown.

Hide Caption

10 of 32

Government shutdown of 201332 photos

Government shutdown of 2013 – A single security guard patrols the closed Lincoln Memorial in Washington on October 3.

Hide Caption

11 of 32

Government shutdown of 201332 photos

Government shutdown of 2013 – A U.S. Capitol police officer walks past a statue of Gerald Ford in the rotunda on Tuesday, October 1. The Capitol is closed to tours because of the government shutdown.

Hide Caption

12 of 32

Government shutdown of 201332 photos

Government shutdown of 2013 – Barricades around the World War II Memorial in Washington prevent people from entering the monument on October 1. The memorial was temporary opened to veteran groups who arrived on Honor Flights on a day trip to visit the nation's capital.

Hide Caption

13 of 32

Government shutdown of 201332 photos

Government shutdown of 2013 – World War II veteran Russell Tucker of Meridian, Mississippi, stands outside the barricade as he visits the World War II Memorial in Washington on October 1.

Hide Caption

14 of 32

Government shutdown of 201332 photos

Government shutdown of 2013 – World War II Veteran George Bloss, from Gulfport, Mississippi, looks out over the National World War II Memorial in Washington, on October 1. Veterans who had traveled from across the country were allowed to visit the National World War II Memorial after it had been officially closed because of the partial government shutdown.

Hide Caption

15 of 32

Government shutdown of 201332 photos

Government shutdown of 2013 – A park ranger secures a road at the entrance to the Mount Rushmore National Memorial on October 1 in Keystone, South Dakota.

Hide Caption

16 of 32

Government shutdown of 201332 photos

Government shutdown of 2013 – A visitor takes a picture of a sign announcing the closure of the Fort Point National Historic Site due to the partial government shutdown on October 1 in San Francisco, California.

Hide Caption

17 of 32

Government shutdown of 201332 photos

Government shutdown of 2013 – Visitors to Independence National Historical Park are reflected in the window of the closed building housing the Liberty Bell, on October 1 in Philadelphia.

Hide Caption

18 of 32

Government shutdown of 201332 photos

Government shutdown of 2013 – Hot Springs National Park employee Stacy Jackson carries a barricade while closing Arlington Lawn in Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas on October 1.

Hide Caption

19 of 32

Government shutdown of 201332 photos

Government shutdown of 2013 – The Washington Monument is seen behind a chain fence in Washington, on October 1.

Hide Caption

20 of 32

Government shutdown of 201332 photos

Government shutdown of 2013 – A National Park Service ranger finishes putting up a sign indicating all facilities at the Martin Luther King Historic Site are closed to the public in Atlanta, on October 1.

Hide Caption

21 of 32

Government shutdown of 201332 photos

Government shutdown of 2013 – A Capitol police officer walks through the empty Capitol Rotunda, closed to tours during the government shutdown on Capitol Hill in Washington, on October 1.

Hide Caption

22 of 32

Government shutdown of 201332 photos

Government shutdown of 2013 – An employee at the Springfield Armory National Historic Site in Springfield, Massachusetts, puts up a sign on October 1, to notify visitors that the site is closed because of a government shutdown.

Hide Caption

23 of 32

Government shutdown of 201332 photos

Government shutdown of 2013 – A U.S. Park Service police officer stands at the closed Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on the National Mall in Washington on October 1.

Hide Caption

24 of 32

Government shutdown of 201332 photos

Government shutdown of 2013 – A man looks into the closed Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington on October 1.

Hide Caption

25 of 32

Government shutdown of 201332 photos

Government shutdown of 2013 – A U.S. park ranger places a closed sign on a barricade in front of the World War II Memorial in Washington on October 1.

Hide Caption

26 of 32

Government shutdown of 201332 photos

Government shutdown of 2013 – Park police and Park Service employees close down the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on the National Mall on October 1.

Hide Caption

27 of 32

Government shutdown of 201332 photos

Government shutdown of 2013 – Members of the U.S. National Park Service close the Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall in Washington on October 1.

Hide Caption

28 of 32

Government shutdown of 201332 photos

Government shutdown of 2013 – A U.S. park ranger posts a closed sign at the Lincoln Memorial on October 1.

Hide Caption

29 of 32

Government shutdown of 201332 photos

Government shutdown of 2013 – People look at a sign announcing that the Statue of Liberty is closed in New York on October 1.

Hide Caption

30 of 32

Government shutdown of 201332 photos

Government shutdown of 2013 – Fencing around the World War II Memorial prevents people from entering the monument on the National Mall in Washington on October 1.

Hide Caption

31 of 32

Government shutdown of 201332 photos

Government shutdown of 2013 – A U.S. park service police officer stands guard at the entrance of the closed Lincoln Memorial on October 1.

JUST WATCHED

National parks to reopen in Utah

MUST WATCH

JUST WATCHED

Newt on shutdown: Been there, done that

MUST WATCH

Newt on shutdown: Been there, done that05:05

PLAY VIDEO

Bill Rudin, chairman of the Battery Conservancy, which operates the 25-acre park and ticketing center for ferries to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, said that 400 jobs have been lost at the Statue of Liberty and surrounding parks since the government shutdown began on October 1.

Rudin estimated that the 10,000 daily visitors each spend $35, adding up to losses in the thousands of dollars during the closure.

Bradford A. Hill, president of Evelyn Hill Inc., a family company that runs the gift shops and restaurants at the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, said that the firm's sales dropped nearly 70% this year between damage from Superstorm Sandy and the government shutdown.

Evelyn Hill Inc. had to lay off 110 employees, until the state stepped in to help.

"It is heartening to know that when Washington, D.C., fails to deliver to Americans, and there is no end to the gridlock in sight, we have a state that we can rely on to step up to the plate and take over critical responsibilities," Hill said. "Today, with the leadership of Governor Cuomo, we opened our doors again today and welcomed back our employees."

Cuomo said the state stepped in not just for economic reasons, but also for symbolic reasons.

"The Statue of Liberty is more than just a tourism destination, more than just a creator of economy, a creator of jobs; it is probably the most profound symbol for freedom and democracy, certainly in this country, but possibly around the world," he said.

Tourists were happy to hear the announcement of the reopening and began lining up to visit the New York City landmark.

"We would have been disappointed. We probably would have taken the Staten Island ferry or a Circle Line Cruise to at least go near the island to get a picture, but I've done that before, and it's just so much better to be on the island. It's a really neat experience," said Stacy Kratt, who was visiting New York City.

Like New York, Arizona and South Dakota struck similar deals to reopen the Grand Canyon and Mount Rushmore, respectively.

All national monuments and parks were closed when Congress failed to approve spending for the fiscal year.

More than 20,000 National Park Service employees who maintain and secure the facilities were furloughed. The nation's 401 National Park Service sites collectively average about 715,000 visitors per day.